On Sunday, as part of the 30th annual Martin Luther King Day membership event, the Martha’s Vineyard chapter of the NAACP will honor two high school students, Olivia Jacobs and Jared Livingston, for their service to the community.

Bundled up against the wind chill and holding handmade signs, more than 80 Vineyarders gathered at Five Corners on New Year’s Day for a march of solidarity. The event was organized by the Martha's Vineyard chapter of the NAACP.

On Thursday, Jan. 1, beginning at noon, a march will be held in downtown Vineyard Haven to draw attention to violence against African Americans as well as police officers. “People will be holding both signs: ‘All Lives Matter’ and ‘Black Lives Matter,’” said Erik Blake, Oak Bluffs chief of police.

I have heard it said about the Martha’s Vineyard branch of the NAACP that it is the most ethnically mixed chapter in the entire country and indeed, since its inception 50 years ago its sense of mission has been equally appealing to both black and white Americans.

The Martha’s Vineyard Chapter of the NAACP held its annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Membership and Awards dinner, which was postponed a day due to weather, on Monday, Feb. 18, at The Grill on Main in Edgartown.
Awards went to three members of the Vineyard community for their outstanding commitment to public service. Rabbi Caryn Broitman of the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center was recognized, and acknowledged the collaboration between the Jewish community and the NAACP on the Vineyard.